The upcoming Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, has cast frontman Freddie Mercury's band mates. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have had their music as part of numerous memorable film moments over the years. Their song "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been featured in numerous films and TV shows, most notable 1992’s Wayne’s World. They recorded the theme song for the 1980 Flash Gordon film and also wrote much of the soundtrack for the original Highlander film in 1986. Other Queen songs have been in such movies as Happy Feet and Moulin Rouge.
For the last several years, an effort has been underway to make a feature film about Mercury and Queen. Sacha Baron Cohen was attached as the star for a long period of time, but the project eventually fell apart due to disagreements between Cohen and the surviving members of the band. Finally, a Queen movie was announced earlier this summer, to be directed by Bryan Singer, starring Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) as Mercury, and produced with the full cooperation of the other Queen members. It's named for the group's iconic song, and now we know who will be playing the other members of the band.
A trio of young actors have been cast as the three additional members of Queen. British actor Ben Hardy (X-Men: Apocalypse) will play drummer Roger Taylor, British actor Gwilym Lee (The Hollow Crown) will play guitarist Brian May, while American actor Joe Mazzello (The Social Network) will play bassist John Deacon, Tracking Board reported.
We also know that Justin Haythe is writing the screenplay; Peter Morgan had been announced as the screenwriter when Baron Cohen was attached but apparently the production won’t be using his version. The project is set up at 20th Century Fox, and will be released in December 2018.
The three actors playing the non-Mercury members of Queen are relatively unknown. While one might think that a movie about Queen would live or die based on the depiction of the frontman, a reported demand of the surviving Queen members was that the film be the story of the whole band.
The other question about the film is whether It will tell the story in a totally uncompromised way. Will we get an R-rated depiction of Mercury, including his AIDS-related death and the numerous controversies from throughout Queen history? Or will the story, with the other Queen members on board, give a sanitized, feel-good version of the tale? We’ll find out in a little over a year.
MORE: Raimi Malek Portraying Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody
Source: The Tracking Board
